Jun 19
Title: The Pipe of Freedom Artist: Thomas Stuart Smith (Scottish, 1815-1869) Date: 1869 Genre: portraiture, genre art Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 106.8 cm (42 in) high x 78.7 cm (30.9 in) wide Location: Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery, Stirling, Scotland, UK
Thomas Stuart Smith painted this striking portrait to celebrate the abolition of slavery in both the UK and the US. The man portrayed is enjoying a pipe at his leisure, symbolizing his freedom from enforced labor. Behind him, a yellow notice announcing a slave auction has been partially covered up by a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation.
